Categories: Sustainability

Annie Leonard’s Story of Stuff

Posted by: Helen Walters on November 07

If you haven’t watched Annie Leonard’s film, The Story of Stuff, you really should. Seven million people have watched the 20-minute film since it was launched in December 2007, captivated…

Better Place launches design competition based on BW Design Schools list

Posted by: Helen Walters on November 02

Interesting. We’ve written about Better Place, the electric vehicle services provider, before (see, for instance, this piece from last year and, after the jump, a video interview with founder Shai…

Knoll’s New “Generation” Chair: Stylish Engineering and Comfort

Posted by: Reena Jana on May 29

The Generation by Knoll chair, which will debut at the NeoCon World’s Trade Fair in Chicago in mid-June, is as comfortable an office seat as it is eye-catching. I’ve been…

Coke’s March towards Zero Waste

Posted by: Jessie Scanlon on May 14

This morning, Coca-Cola took another step toward its long-term goal of producing zero waste with the announcement of a new plastic bottle made partially from sugar cane and molasses. The…

Creative Capitalism Vs. Malaria: The Back Story

Posted by: Michael Arndt on January 15

My colleague Steve Hamm has a piece in the Jan. 26 issue of BusinessWeek on one of the most forward-thinking collaborations out there today. It’s called the Artemisinin Project, an…

Water Works: Hyatt’s New Disinfectant/Cleaner Comes from the Tap

Posted by: Michael Arndt on December 22

Used to be that the maids and janitors at the Hyatt Regency Chicago cleaned the giant hotel with industrial-strength chemicals like maids and janitors do almost everywhere. Now they scrub…

“Energy is one of the first thoughts in everyone’s minds”: Ron Judkoff, National Renewable Energy Lab

Posted by: Helen Walters on October 20

Our sister magazine Architectural Record held its annual Innovation conference here in the McGraw Hill Building recently. This year’s theme was green/sustainability, and the sold-out event was so popular there…

Nau was then… and is Nau again

Posted by: Helen Walters on June 26

Back in early May, Innovation writer Ernest Beck wrote about the demise of the hip green clothing label, Nau, which had launched with such promise a few years earlier but…

Battersea Power Plan — is Rafael Viñoly a menace or a sustainable design hero?

Posted by: Helen Walters on June 25

Architect Rafael Viñoly’s plan to redevelop the Battersea Power Station site, is certainly causing a stir. The proposal sees the iconic power station, which has loomed over the south…

Design Green Now

Posted by: Helen Walters on March 24

If you find yourself at a loose end on the west coast at the beginning of next month, then you might want to look up one of these free panel…

More on the reality of conferences

Posted by: Helen Walters on March 12

Many of those I have talked to at conferences recently definitely feel badly about the environmental effect of flying all over the place to the next can’t-miss event. It really…

“We are who we have been waiting for…”

Posted by: Helen Walters on February 12

Whatever you think of his politics, you can’t deny that Barack Obama’s got a way with words. His speech after Super (duper) Tuesday was full of aphorisms and inspirational phrases….

Big fat package of articles and slideshows on Green Design is here…

Posted by: Helen Walters on February 11

Just posted a mega-package on Green Design, which has been both a positive and slightly disheartening place to keep my brain for the past few weeks. Jessie Scanlon’s written a…

Discussions on Green Design - At Continuum in Boston

Posted by: Reena Jana on December 17

Going green is a huge topic in the worlds of design and business — and where the two intersect. A little over a week ago, I hosted a conference in…

Solar Decathlon is off and running

Posted by: Helen Walters on October 15

We featured University of Cincinnati, one of the 20 schools taking part in the Solar Decathlon in our recent survey of design schools undertaking interesting projects. But now the race…

Greenwashing, Be Gone! A tool to help companies assess their eco-friendliness

Posted by: Reena Jana on September 04

Yes, you’ve heard of the dangers of greenwashing, or cloaking a product or company in adspeak that screams “natural” or “sustainable” when in fact said product or company might not…

Water, water, everywhere

Posted by: Helen Walters on August 09

Digital water isn’t a new concept, but this new project, due for completion in June 2008, pushes the limits of what is possible — and uses the technology on…

The Manufactured Landscapes of Ed Burtynsky

Posted by: Helen Walters on July 25

Tanggu Port, Tianjin, 2005. Click on images to enlarge. Manufactured Landscapes is a film I caught by chance in NYC the other day. I hadn’t heard much about it…

How Green is Our Space?

Posted by: Helen Walters on June 15

It’s Architecture Week in London… This year’s theme: sustainability, of course

How Green is Our Space?

Posted by: Helen Walters on June 15

It’s Architecture Week in London… This year’s theme: sustainability, of course